"..."The thing I like about the cooperative movement is that it actually moves," keynote speaker Jim Hightower said last year at Austin's inaugural Cooperative Summit. That movement has continued to sprout new Aus­tin co-ops in the 14 months since that speech..."

"...This could be as simple as families co-owning a row of houses on a block, or as involved as a shared house with communal food, divided chores, regular meetings, and policies to assist with operations and conflict. In Austin, co-ops cost 40-60% of prevailing market rental rates..."

"...The "hardcore co-op people" constitute the Austin Co-op Think Tank, which this weekend is hosting the Austin Cooperative Summit, a conference focused on developing co-ops in Central Texas. Conference organizer Kim Penna, who works at College Houses, says the project involves both regional strategic planning and public education about co-ops..."

The fire that destroyed the Arrakis Co-op left more than embers in its wake.

Features StoryJanuary 12, 2001, by Stuart Prestidge

"...Arrakis is one of eight student co-ops run and owned by local nonprofit organization the Inter-Cooperative Council (ICC). Due to both its age and usage over the years, Arrakis has become somewhat of an icon among the Austin co-op community..."

"...In such developments, the open space – the farmland – is the primary amenity, which can be managed by a condo or co-op structure. "Co-ops are designed to make it easy for people to share amenities and have simple administrative oversight of them," he says..."

"...Wheatsville went from being on the verge of bankruptcy in the Nineties to joining the National Co-op Grocers, renovating and expanding its original Guadalupe Street location in 2008-09, and opening a second location in 2013. The co-op has also had a hand in the creation of other local co-ops, such Black Star Co-op, in which Wheatsville invested $50,000 when it was getting started..."

"..."I will put an end to the PEC management's high salaries and lavish spending so that it can afford to keep electric rates low and share its profits with ratepayers. Legislation that makes electric cooperatives across our state follow open meetings and public information laws is the only way to prevent future abuses at PEC and for the
nearly 3 million Texans served by co-ops across our state," said State Rep..."

"...Students at the University of Texas have always been quick to appreciate the benefits of co-ops, and UT boasts many housing co-ops (such as the Taos Co-op and the network of College Houses) as well as the famous University Co-op where most students purchase their textbooks. Wheatsville Co-op began as an all-volunteer food distribution co-op, that over the years grew into a reliable and popular grocery owned wholly by its customers.
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One thing the co-operative model did not, sadly, include was any idea of expansion beyond the original store, which was set up primarily for the benefit of UT students living in co-operative housing..."

"...Federation of Worker Cooperatives and was awarded the 2007 Jane Jacobs Medal for New Ideas and Activism. Six years ago he founded the GWC as a "business incubator" of worker-owned co-ops in environmentally sustainable industries..."

"...Although they've moved beyond the members-as-labor idea that some co-ops idealize, that doesn't mean volunteer contributions aren't welcome. "The skill set of the cooperative" has already come into the mix, Young says..."

"...Cesar Chavez Stood Here No longer able to claim organics and healthy foods as their own, Wheatsville,
like food co-ops everywhere, has fallen into a bit of an identity crisis:
Should we lower our prices? Spruce up customer service? Increase advertising?
Change our focus? Or maybe, some Wheatsville veterans reason, we should just
get back to our roots. There is talk now of reviving the enthusiasm that
members shared during the annual boycott vote..."

"...Cooperative housing has always been the quirky stepchild in the University of Texas' large family of housing options. More like communes than dorm rooms, co-ops are run collaboratively by the students who live in them..."

"...Want to see democracy in action?? Really in action? Well, the recent fallout
from the national election ain't where it's at. No, the best place to find
true, fine democracy in action these days is in the struggle and survival of
the world's cooperatives.
And it stands to reason that one of the world's largest manifestation of the
principles of cooperation, the Internet, offers a virtual cornucopia
of resources regarding the state and well-being of modern cooperatives
(co-ops)...."

"...Ultimately you need to be passionate about the [cooperative] model because otherwise you're not going to get enough out of it, because it really is a political theory that you have to believe in. If that's not what your political persuasion is, it's not going to be for you."
Co-ops Save the World..."